Staphylococcus cohnii--resident of hospital environment: cell-surface features and resistance to antibiotics

Acta Microbiol Pol. 2000;49(2):121-33.

Abstract

Staphylococcus cohnii strains dominated in the environment of investigated hospitals. We isolated 420 strains of the species mainly from hospitals environments, but also from infants--Intensive Care Units patients, its medical staff and non-hospital environments. S. cohnii subspecies cohnii was seen to dominate (361 strains). Seventy seven percent of these strains expressed cell-surface hydrofobicity, most of them were slime producers (61%) and this feature was correlated with their methicillin resistance. Among S. cohnii ssp. cohnii strains isolated from ICU environment 90% were resistant to methicillin, 43% expressed high-level resistance to mupirocin and high percentages were resistant to many other antibiotics. These strains may constitute a dangerous reservoir of resistance genes in a hospital.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Drug Resistance, Microbial
  • Environmental Microbiology*
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Methicillin Resistance
  • Novobiocin / pharmacology
  • Staphylococcus / classification
  • Staphylococcus / drug effects
  • Staphylococcus / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Novobiocin